What Is The Proper Protocol To Buy A Jersey Number From A Teammate?

I've always wondered how this works and you hear crazy numbers like when CB Darrelle Revis got traded to the Bucs and paid 2nd year S Mark Barron $50,000 for the #24. When RB Clinton Portis got traded from Denver to Washington he said he'd be willing to pay S Ifeanyi Ohalete up to $40,000 for #26 (Note: He ultimately got the number and never paid. He got taken to court for it and was ordered to pay $18,000). WR Eric Decker landed with the Jets and paid $25,000 to TE Jeff Cumberland and took all the Tight Ends to a steak dinner. Giants Punter Jeff Feagles had agreements twice after surrendering #10 to Eli Manning for an all-expenses paid family vacation to Florida and then giving up his new #17 to Plaxico Burress for re-doing his outdoor kitchen (Note: Plax never paid Feagles and Feagles is on record saying Plax "stole" the number). As you can see, varying results and sums of money, but how does the negotiation start? It all seems like an odd way to endear yourself to your new teammates.

We had current Eagles Defensive Lineman Malik Jackson on this week's Going Deep podcast and I asked just that. Jackson got the bag from Jacksonville after a terrific stretch in Denver which culminated in a Super Bowl victory over Carolina in which Jackson was a force and even scored a Touchdown. Jacksonville gave him a 6-year $85.5M deal with $31.5M guaranteed including a $10M signing bonus, I got to thinking how much he was trying to offer then Jags DT Roy Miller for #97. 

Check out the full pod including fun stories about his time in Jacksonville, attempting to rub his nuts on Tom Brady's face while in Denver, and much more. Listen wherever you consume pods: Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher